Phoenix Files: The Case of the Disappearing Music Venue
I’ve linked to articles from my buddy Will’s blog several times before. Most of them have been related to the Phoenix music scene, and this new one is no different.
As you may have heard, the good ol’ US of A is in something of an economic downturn, and Arizona is one of the hardest hit – and apparently we aren’t coming out of it any time soon. Among the businesses struggling in this economy are live music venues. We’ve seen a string of them close down in the last few years, including old workhorses like The Emerald Lounge, Nita’s Hideaway, Club Rio, Homme Lounge, Burn, Anderson’s, The Mason Jar, Modified (at least in its current form) and now The Ruby Room.
I’ve been involved in the promotion scene in Phoenix off and on over the last decade, but I have nowhere near the experience Will has. There are few folks left that do, really. He’s been bartending some of my favorite venues for ages (including The Mason Jar, a venue I truly miss), and knows firsthand what it takes to make a night work. And he rightfully points out many of those key elements in his blog post.
While I think he might be dismissing the importance of location a bit too easily, he makes a lot of smart observations that those ‘in the business’ might want to take to heart – promoters and performers included. After all, Phoenix will soon run out of independent music venues if they keep disappearing at the current rate.
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